fraze1987

My wife and I are hopefully gonna move to Sydney and I've being doing loads of research on the different suburbs but am finding it hard to get a feel for them by just looking at the real estate websites. Our initial thoughts are trying for a flat in the Lower North Shore, maybe Neutral Bay or Cremorne/Cremorne Point. Just wondered if anyone has any experience of living that way and could share their thoughts?
Also does anyone know where I can get an online map of the different suburbs? - we've got a real map sent from Oz but I could do with an online one to while away the time at work
Cheers,
Fraze

Sandra

http://www.whereis.com.au/whereis/home.jsp

worth playing with - especially if looking for driving directions and timing, we use it for real.

We did not have the opportunity to live where we would have liked in Sydney cause of kids and school commitments. But I think I would have made similiar choices as Neutral Bay, Lower North Shore.

Have Fun

NickyC

Yup, those areas are great if you're going to be renting and want somewhere convenient to the city. Very pricy to buy into. I've always lived in the east, but friends have lived in Neutral Bay and Cremorne and loved it there. Great shopping, good pubs and restaurants/cafes, lots going on - and best of all just a ferry ride to the city.

fraze1987

Thanks for the map (another toy to play with while on my notice period!) and comments - we're planning on doing some city living for a year or so to get it out of our systems before the patter of tiny feet materialise :scared:

Sandra

If thinking of doing the city living before the commitments flood in, what about buying a bigger home when you come over (possibly renting the bigger one out) but still renting for yourselves closer to the CBD. I am not in anyway sure of the Sydney Housing Market but a few of my younger work colleagues buy the bigger house rent it out and live in a rental apartment in the meantime.

Have you got jobs to come to in Sydney...so know you will be working in the centre? Alot of the IT jobs are not necessarily central I know. I am glad to know our office move is only going to be 500m up the road rather than to one of the industrial estates in Ryde or Parramatta.

Cheers Sandra (Just being nosy)

fraze1987

No worries! To be honest we both think that we can do without the extra stress of buying a house for the first 12 months or so. We've got a little bit of equity from our house here so we'll hopefully have some for a deposit in the future (if we dont blow it all travelling!)
As for jobs we're planning on trying to get them once in Oz rather than before. I'm in IT and from what I can gather there seems to be quite a few on the North Shore, not just in the CBD. The wife is in recruitment. We thought that if we aimed for the LNS then we'd be hedging our bets on the location of jobs. The wife likes the look of some of the more Eastern burbs like Coogee / Double Bay
but it'd be typical if we rented there and landed jobs in the North Shore (can't imagine that'd be a short commute!)

Sandra

I am still learning about Sydney and the area, for the IT industry the main areas of general employment are CBD, Chatswood Paramatta and Ryde. Please add to this if people know differently. I know we chose to live North Shore as my job was going to be in Chatswood.

I do work in Chatswood with people who live a far away as Cronulla in the South and Woy Woy up North. So I know it can be done. In fact I think living Upper North Shore puts me in the minority. The transport here in Sydney really isn't bad, bus train and car, you sort of balance your needs and the nice thing is you have lots of time to have a look around and try a few areas before making bigger decisions.

I know I am being utterly biased here but North Shore Upper and Lower and the Northern Beaches - are just tops !

NickyC

Transport links from the east to the north are actually pretty good. I'm also in IT, live in Coogee and work from home. Often have to go to Epping or Macquarie Park (North Ryde) for meetings etc and I can do both in 35-40 minutes. Taking the Eastern Distributor/Tunnel route means there's no stopping till you get to Lane Cove and even that little problem will be removed once they finish the roadworks there. It costs though - tolls all the way. It's also against the general flow of traffic as more people live north and work south than vice versa.

queenie

North Sydney is good too.

[QUOTE=Sandra]I am still learning about Sydney and the area, for the IT industry the main areas of general employment are CBD, Chatswood Paramatta and Ryde. Please add to this if people know differently. I know we chose to live North Shore as my job was going to be in Chatswood.

Queenie

base_sydney

kind of feedback I have got from the forum, I am 100% for North sydney though I will have to wait and see how expensive it would be to rent a decent accomodation there

queenie

What I meant was North Sydney is good for computer jobs too. It is now like another City centre and not very practical for living in.

Queenie

fraze1987

Thanks for all the replies - we'll definately be giving the North Shore a good look around come mid December!

new horizons

For rental the North shore is great, also consider Redfern east or Moore Park which is 3 kms from the CBD but on the southern side of the bridge. Has huge amounts of new apartments for rental and the tenant can negotiate given the oversupply in this very popular area. Like the north shore has lots of everything for young singles, marrieds or empty nesters.

ezzie

Hi Fraze,
Not long before you're here now...if you want to hear some familiar dulcet Brummy tones on arrival, do get in touch. We've been over here for eons so may be able to offer advice. We moved out to the 'burbs...Hills District because of family. Most I.T. workers & Managers who work in North Ryde (centre of I.T in Sydney) live out here, but we've done our time in the Eastern suburbs. If I was doing it again sans kids, I'd be heading to North Sydney. Being on a train line is definitely an advantage in Sydney. Double Bay suffers from road conjestion as does Cremorne. Brilliant resturants in Crows Nest and you could rent a place on the south side of the Pacific Highway and walk to Wollstoncraft or St Leonards station. Middle Harbour and some nice parks would be just to the NW, the city - 5 mins on train, and the shops of Chatswood just a couple of stops on the train. The new tunnel (when it's finished) under Lane Cove will take you straight to North Ryde. When renting in North Sydney make sure the place has designated parking....parking spots are rare on the north shore.

rapitts

Well I would'nt really move into a 6 month rented place until you find an IT job. I'm living in Ryde since thats where I'm working, I was living near darling harbour (CBD) but the 30+ minute train ride everyday was starting to be a bind.

I would forget trying to live in places like coogee, bondi if your employer is in the Ryde area since traffic is a bit of a nightmare in the morning, it is possible to live in those areas however it means getting up earlier and maybe paying tolls just to miss some traffic,etc.

I live in Meadowbank which is pretty OK for my liking, you have the train, the river cat and Top ryde shopping center just up the road, plus the park areas around here are very nice for walking. I leave the apartment at 8:30 and a 15 minute walk and I'm in work, no stuck in traffic and you get to see some of the aussie birds (feather kind).

I would like to live on the beach however the commuting is just to much.....

Also places like Rhodes which is just over the river is pretty nice since the Olympic Park is just around the corner, great for cycling......